Flashlight



May 28, 1946. H WIRZ 2,401,033

FLASHLIGHT Filed Jan. 9, 1945 Aims:- I:

,bnlunm lun l 60 1 Ii 67 a 34 v INVENTOR. 96 3 HEN/2v Wiez Patented May 28, 1946 UNETED STATES P 4 Claims.

This invention relates to a flashlight.

The general object of the invention is to provide a novel portable hand flashlight which irrclucies a generator and a pneumatic motor for driving the generator to thereby produce current for energizing a lamp hulb.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide a flashlight including a pneumatic motor and generator operated thereby and wherein the flashlight casing includes a storage receptacle for compressed air and a pump for introducing air under pressure into the chamber.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel flashlight including means for supplying compressed air to a pneumatic motor in the flashlight casing.

ther objects and the advantages of the invention will be apparent fromthe following de= scription taken in connection with the acconi= panying drawing, wherein:

Fig. l is a front view of a flashlight embody ing the features of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a central, sectional view taken on line Fig. i;

Fig. 3 is a transverse section taken on line 3-3, Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view of the pls=- ton and associated parts;

Fig. 5 is a section taken on line lie-ii, Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a side elevation showing a modification, and

Fig. '7 is a fragmentary, sectional view shoving another type of piston head.

Referring to the drawing by reference characters, l have shown my invention as embodied in a flashlight which is indicated generally at ill.

As shown the flashlight includes a casing or body it which comprises an intermediate por tion it, a front portion iii and a rear portion It. The intermediate portion iii is shown as rec tangular in cross section and as having a lower externally threaded cylindrical collar 66. 'The portion it has a transverse bore ll which is closed at one end as at iii. In the bore I1 I arrange a piston it.

Beyond the bore I7 I provide a cylindrical rotor cavity 2d (Fig. 3) which has diametrically arranged slots 2% and 22 in which nozzles 23 and 2d are arranged. In the cavity I arrange a rotor or impeller 25 which has a shaft 26, the lower end of which seats in a recess 21.

Beyond the rotor 25 I provide a chamber 2c in which a generator 29 is mounted on the shaft 25 and is driven by the shaft. The upper end. Sll of the shaft is shown as arranged in a hole 3! in a closure member 32 which engages a flange 33 on the upper end of the intermediate por-= tion it. The closure 32 is held in place by screw 63. v

The closure is a part of the front portion it which includes a casing 351 secured to the closure 82'. In the casing 3 3 l arrange a re flector and a lamp soclret M which supports a lamp The casing 3t further includes a lens member One side of the lamp is grounded. to the reflector which is connecmd hy lead to one pole of the generator. The other side of the lamp is connected to a contact til which in turn is connected by a lead (it with the other pole oi the generator.

The piston l includes a piston rod G8 which ha a head to held in'place by nuts ll and d8. On the head. it i arrange packing member The head includes a hole ill in. which a valve housing Si is arranged. The valve housing in= cludes a seat 62 and a port as. A hall E l engages the seat and is normally urged to its seat by a spring which is held in place by a threaded closure whi-h latter has apassageway El therethrough.

The portion 62 includes a boss which has a valve core (ll communicating with a passage t2. Flow through the passage ha is controlled by a hall normally urged against a valve seat lit by a spring which is held in place by a threaded plug it; having a hole ill therethrough.

From the cylinder iii an outlet conduit ill extends. This conduit it communicates through a pipe it with the nozzle 23 previously men tioned.

The collar it on the intermediate portion l2 threadedly engages a compressed air tank. lit which is threaded as at it on its lower end to support a cap ll in which spare hulbs iii may be placed. p 2

The hole communicates with the interior of the tanlt and forms an inlet for compressed air. The outlet for the tank l5 consists of a conduit (Fig. El) which extends throughthe body of the intermediate portion 02 and which communicates with the nozzle it previously mentioned.

The piston rod passes through a closure 8i which has an air inlet hole 82. The piston rod 65 includes a push member which is normally urged outwardly by a spring 86.

In operating my improved flashlight, the user grasps the flashlight in his hand and pushes the member 88 inwardly and repeats this operation. This causes air in the cylinder during the intake stroke to enter the port 53 and then on the compression stroke to be compressed and to pass a through the conduit and to be ejected through the nozzle 23 so that it strikes the blades 01' the impeller 25. The conduit 10 is sufilciently small so that all of the compressed air does not pass therethrough and is forced to escape through the passage 62 by the ball valve 63 and into the tank 15. The compressed air in the tank passes through the conduit 80 to the nozzle 2 which directs it against the impeller 25.

The size of the conduit 80 is such that the compressed air will gradually pass therethrough and will thus supply air to the nozzle 24. This will tend to prevent undue slowing down of the impeller during the retraction of the piston.

The impeller drives the generator 29 and this in turn supplies current through the leads 39 and 4| to thereby light the bulb 31.

In Fig. 6 I show a modiflcation of my invention wherein the push member 85 is omitted and the piston rod I5 is pivotally connected at 90 to an operating arm 91 which is pivotally mounted at 92 on'the closure 11. A spring 98 normally urges the arm 9i outwardly. Except for the manner in which the piston rod 45 is actuated,

the apparatus shown in Fig. 6 does not differ from that previously described.

In Fig. '7 I show another type of piston head which is indicated at 4B. This head is arranged on the piston rod 45', the forward end of which is reduced and threaded as at 92 to provide a shoulder 93 upon which a metal washer ll is seated. A leather cup washer 95 engages the washer 94 and is held in place by metal washer 98 which latter is engaged by a nut 8'! on the metal portion. The piston head shown in Fig. 'I does not offer any resistance on the rearward stroke and as soon as slight pressure is put on the washer 95 the latter is sealed.

From the foregoing description, it will be apparent that I have invented a novel flashlight which is simple in construction and dependable in use and which can be economically manuiactured.

Having thus described myinvention, I claim:

1. In a flashlight, a body including a portion having a tank member thereon, said body including a cylinder, a piston slidable in said cylinder. said piston having a one-way valve thereon permitting flow to the portion of the cylinder in advance of the piston, a rod on said piston, a push member on said piston rod, spring means normally urging said piston in one direction, a one-way valve communicating with said cylinder and opening-into said tank, said body including an impeller cavity, an impeller in said cavity, a pair of nozzles, conduit means communicating with the cylinder and with one oi said nozzles, other conduit means aflording communication between the other nozzle and the tank, a generstor driven by said impeller, a lamp socket on said body, and a pair of leads for supplying current to said lamp socket, said leads being connected to the generator. 2. In a flashlight, a body including an intermediate portion, a tank member on said intermediate portion. a cylinder in said intermediate portion, a piston slidable in said cylinder, said piston having a one-way valve thereon permitting flow to the portion of the cylinder in advance of the piston, said cylinder having a closure, a rod on said piston, said closure having an air inlet hole therein, said cylinder closure having an aperture through which said piston rod projects, a push member on said piston rod, spring means normally urging said piston in one direction, a one-way valve communicating with said cylinder and opening into said tank, said intermediate portion including an impeller cavity, an impeller in said cavity, diametrically Opposed nozzles adjacent to said impeller, conduit means communicating with the cylinder and with one of said nozzles, other conduit means affording communication between the other nozzle and the tank, a generator adiacent to said impeller and driven thereby, a closure on the front portion of said intermediate member, said closure having a reflector therein, a lens in advance of said reflector, a lamp socket arranged in said reflector, a lamp in said socket, and a pair of leads for supplying current to said lamp, said leads being connected to the generator.

3. In a flashlight, a body including an intermediate portion which has a peripheral threaded collar on the rear end thereof, a tank member threadedly engaging said collar, said intermediate portion having a, cylindrical bore therein, a piston slidable in said bore, said piston having a oneway valve thereon permitting flow to the portion of the bore in advance oi! the piston, said bore having a closure, a rod on said piston, said closure having an air inlet hole therein, said bore closure having an aperture through which said piston projects, a push member on said piston rod, spring means normally urging said piston rod in one direction. a one-way valve communicating with said cylinder and opening into said tank, said intermediate portion including an impeller cavity, an impeller in said cavity, diametrically opposed slots adjacent said impeller, a nozzle in each of said slots, conduit means communicating with the bore and with one of said nozzles, other conduit means afl'ordlng communication between the other nozzle and the tank, a generator adjacent to said impeller and driven thereby, a closure on the front portion of said intermediate member, said closure having a reflector therein,

a lens in advance of said reflector, a lamp socket arranged in said reflector, a lamp in said socket, and a pair of leads for supplying current to said lamp, said leads being connected to the generator.

4. A flashlight including an elongated body having a tank member thereon, said body includpeller in said cavity, a pair of nozzles disposed in opposed relation at opposite sides of the impeller, conduit means communicating with the other end of the cylinder and with one of said nozzles, other conduit means ailording communication between the other nozzle and the tank, a generator driven by -said impeller, a lamp socket on said body and a circuit connecting the lamp socket to the generator.

HENRY W'IRZ. 

